I’m currently reading 2 Peter in the Bible. It’s a letter that doesn’t have a specific location or audience recorded so many theologians think that it was most likely written to all believers who were scattered throughout the world.

Peter starts his second letter to these believers by reminding them of how to live in godliness and he also talks about the subject of prophesy.

Then the letter takes a sharp turn.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you….. 2 Peter 2:1a

I’m unsure if he is dealing with a specific issue or it is just a general wanting. Peter then begins an incredible account of how these false teachers work and what fate will await them. In a day where truth can be difficult to detect (even within the church) I think Peter’s words are super helpful to us.

Here’s a brief summary of how Peter describes the work of these false teachers in chapter 2

• They will secretly introduce destructive heresies
• They will exploit people with fabricated stories
• They will blaspheme in areas that they do not understand
• They will seduce the unstable
• They will appeal to the lustful desires of the flesh
• They will entice people who have just escaped from those who are living in error

Ultimately Peter makes it clear that these people will not escape God’s judgment. In fact he even goes so far to say that they would have been better never knowing God at all than to have known Him and then reject what He calls them to do.

When we read a list like this we probably create some image of the kind of person who would do this. I imagine some ogre with dark eyes, covered with scars, dressed in black with a vulture perched on their shoulder. I’m going for the classic Disney villain.

The reality is I don’t think this who Peter is referring to at all. I’m not sure we would need to be warned to avoid the caricature I have created in my mind, we would automatically avoid someone who looked that untrustworthy.

I think what Peter is referring to is something or someone much more subtle, much more undetectable. I think he is referring to people who present incredibly well, who hold a lot of intelligence, who have influence, who want to please people to earn their trust. The kind of person who could quite easily go undetected in our churches even if they were right in front teaching us on a Sunday. I believe he is describing the kinds of people we could all be when we aren’t connected to Jesus as our source and instead make our agenda, our theology, our preferences the centre. I’m sure some of those people will willingly set out to seduce, entice and exploit but I think there will be others who might not realise what they are doing. Whilst I believe the intention matters, and I believe God deals with those people differently, the results are the same.

What does that mean for us?

Well, if we are a leader in some way within the church the application and warning is pretty easy – let’s make sure we don’t become what Peter describes. Let’s be open and transparent with what we teach and describe, when we are unsure let’s not pretend we are sure. When we have a preference let’s call it out. Let’s not God-polish our stories so they appear more holy than they were. Let’s be aware that many people in our churches are vulnerable in many ways and our job is to introduce them into a deepening relationship with Jesus, not with our preference. Most of all, let’s preach the truth of the gospel even when it hurts us personally.

If we aren’t someone in leadership let’s bring all that we hear, read, and experience before God. We don’t need to swallow and digest everything we are told even it is by our favourite author or teacher. I’m not saying that we should be untrusting or cyclical about what we hear, not at all. We must come hungry, willing to learn and be trusting of what we hear but it’s so good to test what we are learning before God so let’s invite His voice personally on top of what we have learnt corporately so that we shine as much light as we can on what we are doing. This isn’t us not trusting our leaders but together as the church discerning how we continue to grow into the people He has called us to be. Any leader worth their salt would love to have people who are taking what they are hearing about, bringing it before God to see how they might apply it in their lives, even if it means they might push back on some things.

We all want to people who live in the truth and so let’s invite the Holy Spirit to enable us to be those people today.